snazel's review
3.0
Okay, maybe I won't give up on reading JUST yet. This one was fun. An installation in both the Accidentally-Betrothed-Now-We-Have-To-Live-Together-Because-Of-Someone's-Will genre (always a classic) and the Frontier-Romance genre (with distressing racist and colonialist themes mostly removed by setting it on an alien planet). The main character has an unerring knack for making the wrong assumptions on first meeting, which I deeply identify with. The gossipy conversations over the radio were clearly written by someone who's lived in an incredibly small town with nothing going on but what your neighbour is up to and the weather. And most everyone is good people.
The one exception that kept me from loving the book is the main character's mother. We find out that Which is not the nuanced depiction of disability I would like to find. That's the one blemish on an otherwise fun and frothy book.
The one exception that kept me from loving the book is the main character's mother. We find out that
Spoiler
she has been doing nothing on the farm, because of illness. For years. We already know she's been legally trapped on the farm with no way off but an indenturement to a cargo liner, but for the rest of the book her (late) mother's situation is only referred to in terms of how badly she treated Sonny and the boys. And she treated them badly, don't get me wrong. But all of Delanna's joys that she finds in the farm are pretty contingent on being able-bodied. To have been trapped on a farm, sick, with a dead husband, cannot have been fun. But while the MC's general journey has been to understand a person's situation more and more, gain more empathy, and feel kinder towards them, her mother's situation is never returned to, and she never feels more kindly towards her. In fact, as more is revealed, dear departed mum develops less and less redeeming qualities. She's just there, the person who does no work, takes all the money for D's school, and is emotionally abusive.queenhufflegruff's review
2.0
Well, I finished this book, so I guess I enjoyed it enough. I thought, while the premise and general structure of the story was good, and you can definitely see Willis' fingerprint on the characterization, there wasn't nearly enough actual conflict or development of the relationship of the characters for me to get invested in their romance. They don't even seem to have a real conversation until the last 50 pages of the book, and then they are suddenly in love? The main character had more interactions with her pet, and while I love Cleo, this definitely led to a sloppy resolution. Also, it felt like the elements that could have been developed to up the stakes (the trial, selling the land, etc.) were mentioned and then jettisoned quickly instead of being tweaked to build any sense of tension. As it was, the stakes were low, the characters were weak (and Delanna was very annoying for over 1/2 the book), and it was not a very satisfying read. I'd look to Willis's other work, and give this one a pass.
rxh05d's review
3.0
Urgh. So, first of all, I love Connie Willis. I re-read her books over and over. This is a collaboration between her and another author that I hadn't heard of. I liked the worldbuilding. It reminded me a lot of Tatooine and Dune and other frontier survival sci-fi.. But I am so over the "guy is nice and quiet, spoiled bratty girl doesn't see how good he is for her, girl eventually realizes and then excoriates herself for not loving him right away." Delanna had every right to be upset and panicky and angry at the beginning of the book. She was trapped totally alone on a planet where she knew nothing and trapped in a marriage she didn't want. She was in danger. Like just because Sonny was a nice guy doesn't change that. And he or the lawyer could have told her what happened ahead of time, or, for crying out loud, her mom. Who I also have sympathy for, by the way, because she doesn't seem to have been able to get out of a life she didn't want. Is the way she treated the Tanners right? No, of course not. But also, Delanna shouldn't feel guilty about what she spent money on because she was a kid and didn't know any of this. This is all on their parents - all 4 of them.
Well, the second half of the book is better and I actually enjoyed it. Disappointingly, though, the characteristic happy/hopeful twist that Willis likes to stick at the end was pretty obvious from a chapter away.
And now that I think about it a little more, I'm annoyed that Delanna's computer skills weren't returned to, so her off-world education basically gives no benefit to the farm because all she needed to know how to do was feed geese, harvest vegetables and cook. If she had brought more to the farm and to the relationship than just being pretty it would have felt more equal.
I want to give this 3.5 stars. I'm not sure now if I want to read the authors' other collaborations.
Well, the second half of the book is better and I actually enjoyed it. Disappointingly, though, the characteristic happy/hopeful twist that Willis likes to stick at the end was pretty obvious from a chapter away.
And now that I think about it a little more, I'm annoyed that Delanna's computer skills weren't returned to, so her off-world education basically gives no benefit to the farm because all she needed to know how to do was feed geese, harvest vegetables and cook. If she had brought more to the farm and to the relationship than just being pretty it would have felt more equal.
I want to give this 3.5 stars. I'm not sure now if I want to read the authors' other collaborations.
wenchpixie's review
4.0
Pioneer romance in space, which is not a book I'd normall gravitate to, but read as I generally very much enjoy Willis' work and I enjoyed this one - I won't return to it as often as her other books but it was definitely worth picking up
psalmcat's review
2.0
Interesting little mix of a western potboiler romance set on another planet. Cute, lightweight, easy, nothing here will startle anyone.
ksparks's review
2.0
You've read or seen this book before. Yes, it is set on a different planet but it is your basic romantic plot--city girl moves to the country and falls in love with small town boy. Yes, she has a bug for a pet and there are fire monkeys and they travel in unusual crafts. But, there's not really much to the plot. It is not as frantic in pace as Connie Willis' books are when she writes alone, that was kind of a relief. I mildly enjoyed it but I doubt I will remember it for long.
eleneariel's review
3.0
Predictable? Yes - but with such well-developed characters and complete world-building, you won't care.